Blogs & podcasts
latest thinkingIf you’re serious about building organisational capability, and want contemporary information to advance your work, check out these expert insights for the not-for-profit sector through the following articles and discussions…
Establishing Your Organisational Values, Vision and Mission
Why does your group exist? What were the reasons or needs that saw it established in the first place? If your group is incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (Vic), you will have a Statement of Purposes that is part of your Rules which help...
Legal and Ethical Duties
In Victoria the Association Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (Vic) places certain duties on the members of committees (and boards) of organisations incorporated under it: 1. Improper use of information or position – you must not use your position or information gained...
Ethical Leadership
We’ve probably all experienced ‘good’ leadership – from leaders who inspire, motivate and encourage others; as well as ‘bad’ leadership – when leaders try to bully, manipulate and control to achieve their ends. And these experiences often influence how we strive to...
Planning to Achieve Your Purpose
It is widely recognised that success is more likely with a plan. You wouldn’t go on a big overseas holiday without planning it properly, because you’d risk all sorts of problems happening! The same applies to running our organisations – you are far more likely to...
Effective Treasurers
An effective Treasurer is crucial to any successful community group. The Treasurer is responsible for properly managing the group’s finances, including: 1. Budgeting for the year ahead – in the lead up to the organisation’s new financial year, the Treasurer should...
Succession Planning for Committees
All too often committee members are recruited in a hasty, unplanned way – how many times do we see people being tapped on the shoulder at the AGM, without any prior consideration of the needs of the committee, nor of the knowledge and skills of the individual...
Why is Good Governance so important?
The benefits of Good Governance are wide-ranging and occur on a number of different levels: 1. Groups function better – they are more likely to achieve their purposes and meet their financial responsibilities; they will plan more effectively, therefore, maximising...
Successful Secretaries
An effective Secretary is critical to the success of any community group. The Secretary is largely responsible for managing correspondence in and out for the group – ensuring that information is forwarded to the appropriate members of the committee or the broader...
Risk Management for Community Groups
Organisations sometimes shudder at the thought of Risk Management. ‘Too hard’, ‘not core business’, ‘don’t really understand it’ are common concerns, when I talk to groups about managing their risks. But it doesn’t have to be like that! By following some simple...
Legislative changes affecting Incorporated Associations in Victoria
As I talk to groups across the state, it surprises me how many of our Incorporated Associations are still unaware of the recent transition to the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (AIR Act), and the implications this has for the governance of their groups....
Purposeful Presidents
The President of a community group needs to fulfil some important roles in order for the group to operate at its best. Providing strong leadership – The President needs to be able to motivate and inspire other committee members (and often general members too) to be...
Recent Comments